How owner Vincent Viola made Florida Panthers’ ring ceremony personal for players

Sam Bennett was taken aback.

As Bennett walked to the front of the room at the War Memorial Auditorium to receive his Stanley Cup championship ring on Monday night, Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola told a quick story about the Florida Panthers’ center.

Bennett is Viola’s granddaughter’s favorite player, and she wanted to meet him. So during a game early last season when Bennett was out with a lower-body injury, Bennett went to meet the Viola family.

“We were chatting, and Sam looked at my whole family very relaxed,” Viola recalled. “He said ‘We’re going to win a Stanley Cup this year.’ I was like, ‘Oh, man, that guy, he’s got some spice in there.’ But you were right, and I never forgot you said that. And I know you’re going to be around for a long time, and we’re going to win more Cups together, but I want to tell you, man, you were the soul of this team, so thank you.”

“That meant a lot,” Bennett said. “Vinny, he treats us so well. He does so much for us. Those were some really nice words that he said to me, and it means the world, I try and play my heart out every single game. So to get recognized by the owner definitely means a lot.”

It wasn’t just Bennett who got recognized.

Viola took the time to compliment every player who was still on the roster from the Stanley Cup team.

He thanked captain Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Aaron Ekblad for staying committed to the process — even through all the bad years at the start of their careers — to see his vision play out.

He praised goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for being a man of “deep character” who has “a morality to his day-to-day conduct that’s not seen often in the civilian world.”

He referred to forward Carter Verhaeghe as a “freak of an athlete” and a “stone-cold killer” and defenseman Gustav Forsling as a a “premier champion athlete.” He beamed when reliving his excitement when Florida signed defenseman Niko Mikkola and told forward Evan Rodrigues that he was going to have a career year in his second season with Florida.

The list goes on and on.

“Him and [his wife] Teresa, we’re so lucky to have them,” Panthers star winger Matthew Tkachuk said. “Their family is amazing. Just a special night.”

Why Spencer Knight isn’t on the roster

The Panthers’ opening night roster had one notable omission: Goaltender Spencer Knight.

The decision wasn’t because of poor performance; Knight was sharp in the preseason.

Rather, it had to do with the Panthers having to get cap compliant.

By sending Knight to the Charlotte Checkers, the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, they were able to remove $1.15 million of his $4.5 million cap hit. That will remain the case so long as he is in the minors.

Chris Driedger, who is on the roster as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup for the time being, has a cap hit of $795,000. That’s a salary-cap reduction of $355,000.

According to PuckPedia, the Panthers only have $130,455 in cap space remaining as the roster currently stands.

“We live in a cap world in the National Hockey League,” Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said. “There’s a lot of teams who are like us, and I think we’re going to see fluidity to the way that our roster shapes up day to day and week to week. And we have to use the [collective bargaining agreement]. We have to use the rules and maximize our ability to field the best team and have the best players available to us for a season.”

Florida has 22 players on its initial roster — 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders.

Panthers sell out season tickets

The Panthers on Tuesday announced they have sold out of season tickets for the 2024-25 season. This includes all levels of Amerant Bank Arena — the lower bowl, the club level and the upper level.

It’s the first recorded time in franchise history that the club has sold out of available season ticket inventory.

Last season, the team sold out season tickets in the lower bowl.

“After a historic and exciting Championship season, we are thrilled to announce that our season tickets for the 2024-25 season are sold out thanks to our loyal and passionate South Florida fanbase,” Shawn Thornton, the Panthers’ chief revenue officer, said in a press release. “The energy and atmosphere of Amerant Bank Arena will continue to be electric this year and we can’t wait to deliver exceptional experiences for our members.”